[NFBWATlk] Looking for some Advice on Apartment- or Studio-Living

[Becky Frankeberger]

Me, I would call a real estate agent and talk with her/him about your many needs, i.e., bus line, grocery store bank close by, safe area, close to work and so forth. You will have to compromise on some of the things you need and or want in your apartment. Oh don't forget price range.
I will bet DSB will help with orienting you to your area. They will also help with equipment you may need. The bus company will also have training on which busses you will need to take you places, say for groceries. Some bus companies will take the bus right up to the door of the store, and pick you up there as well.  Anyway, busss companies hire people to orient us blind and other disabilities to their service.
Also, don't limit yourself to a studio apartment. You do have equipment and people who want to come and visit you. In Takoma about two years ago we saw a two bedroom for like nine hundred dollars a month, but it was off an alley. I don't care about looking at an alley, as long as the garbage didn't stink when I sat out on my deck, grin. Now, we never looked at the apartment, but we heard the bus went right by a half block away, smile. 

   Becky 

   

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBWATlk <nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Humberto Avila via NFBWATlk
Sent: Saturday, December 07, 2019 5:25 PM
To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org; 'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List' <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Humberto Avila <humberto_avila.it104 at outlook.com>
Subject: [NFBWATlk] Looking for some Advice on Apartment- or Studio-Living

Hello, All:

I hope you all are having a fantastic evening and weekend.

I am here with a question and / or a request for pieces of advice if possible.  Here’s my situation:

Two weeks ago on 11/20/19, I interviewed for a teaching position with a school district near the area where I am doing my independent living training. The interview was awesome and I got a good impression of the people I would be working with ETC.

But to cut to the chase quickly… yesterday I got a call from those same people that interviewed me that day. I was offered the job working with blind students in the Tacoma School District (In Washington State) and I have accepted it on the phone. What comes next is a matter of orientations, trainings, and the human resource part… all of that very exciting. But well… where am I going to breathe after long, hard, challenging, first couple of days at work? This is where I would love asking my questions:


  1.  What are some of your experiences with going apartment searching?
  2.  What are some of your experiences with coping with moving in to a new place and living independently?
  3.  What strategies and techniques do you use to learn your new environment in your living arrangement?
  4.  Has anyone rented a studio apartment? What is your experience with this type of living? Any perks, or inconveniences that I have to deal with there?
  5.  How do you deal with inaccessible materials presented by landlords, as well as leasing terms and conditions, and accommodations?

Any advice, once again, is deeply appreciated! Sorry for my longwinded email. But thanks for reading, and I sure look forward to hearing from you very soon. 😊

Best Wishes,

Humberto

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